GP 100 - A very usable double action.

[mec]

these have a stagy double action that can be useful for moderately fast shooting. They also handle recoil very well.

 

[Diesle]

ummmm, yep.

Diesle

 

[mikey357]

...yeah, yeah, yeah...they ARE "Useable"...AND strong...but they ain't no SMITH 'N' WESSON!!!....mikey357

 

[MJRW]

Mec,

Umm...basically, yeah.

Mikey,

No, I guess by the mere fact that they are a Ruger would negate the possibility of it being a Smith.


Thanks guys. Without this thread of solid insight, many people may still be confused.

 

[mec]

smith and wessons are good. The rugers allow you to get in some useful practice without over-stressing vintage type Smiths. they both have their points.

 

[Kahr carrier]

They are great work horse revolvers,built like a brick house.:ar15:

 

[444]

It is certainly my faviorite revolver. And thank goodness it isnt' a Smith. It is a much better design. And this is from a guy that gets a call from his dealer everytime a used Smith hits his display case.

 

[mec]

Same here- crave smiths but appreciate rugers for their strong design. A distributor I know has been in the business for about 40 years. He says the used gps he takes in are virtually free of problems and the best design going.

 

[Arub]

My $0.02 worth (can't find a cents key on this thing). I have both a Smith 686 in 4" and a KGP141 Ruger. I really can't tell the difference in trigger pulls, either single or double. They come in pretty well matched.

 

[JohnKSa]

My first gun was a Ruger GP100.

I liked it then and I like it more now.

It's had several thousand full power rounds through it and it still looks new.

BTW, the cure for the Ruger triggers is lots of shooting. They're not bad to begin with, but after a few thousand rounds/dry-fires, they're as good as is to be had on a factory revolver.

 

[stans]

I have had a GP-100 for years, a few thousand rounds through it and it just keeps getting better. Initially the trigger was heavy and creepy, so I polished the contact areas and replaced the springs. Now, the factory mainspring has been put back in the gun to improve ignition reliability. If I were to do it again, I would not mess with the springs, just polish, dry fire, and shoot it a lot.

 

[Sisco]

I've never owned a Smith, shot a friends 686 side by side with my GP and both of us felt that the trigger on the GP was better. To be fair, the 686 was new and the GP has had a couple thousand rounds through it, factory springs replaced with Wolff's.

 

[mec]

good picture- I remember it. Had me a stump like that but somebody up-rooted it.

Here's a single action group that isn't a whole lot better than the double action.

 

[MSB9021]

Ruger GP100's aren't S&W 686's, but then again, the S&W's ain't what they used to be, either. I have owned a early production S&W 686 4", but traded it away and kept my Rugers. Still, I probably will have regrets one day. I have a S&W mod.65 in 3" bought in late 2000 that's pretty good, but the action out of the box doesn't compare to the older Smiths. To me, this narrows the differences between Rugers and Smiths.
I did go the Wolff spring route on my GP's, and I did this very carefully and I'm holding on to all the original springs. While I tested for ignition reliability using reloads with CCI primers (supposedly pretty hard compared to others) and had no problems, I'm still mindful of others' experiences. So far, so good!
The 3" fixed sight GP's are my favorites, but the 4" GP's are a real close second. I won't part with either!
Hello there, mec !!!! This looks like a good place !!!!

 

[mec]

this place is hopping. Here's a secret. A few years ago, I got me one of those 627 eight shooters- really accurate and it was with that on that I found out I could do some pretty interesting double action shooting. Shot it quite a bit some magnum loads but a lot that were like 158 grain lead at 900 fps or so. After about 2000 rounds, It started with that incipient carry-up problem that shows up when you cock it real slow. This prompted me to trade it in on a 4" gp100. I kept up the double action shooting with that and, right off the bat found it easier to hit with the ruger than the smiths. No carry up problems and I now have a six inch to go with it. The sp101 has been around longer than either and none of them have any wear related issues.
I do like S&Ws but the rugers are necessary for long, deep and continuous shooting.

 

[JohnK]

The rugers allow you to get in some useful practice without over-stressing vintage type Smiths.

You aren't saying that Smiths are trailer queens (to use a show car analogy) are you?

I think the Smiths have a faster/shorter action than the Ruger, at least shorter than my GP100, but I've been able to shoot that old Ruger pretty darn fast. Haven't tried back to back runs comparing the Ruger to a Smith though.

 

[Prodigalshooter]

I like 'em both.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

Yup. Accurate too.

 

[DUELACTIONRECOIL]

My GP100 vs. S&W

Let's get real guys!!..Just because the manufactured name is Smith & Wesson, Harley Davidson or Budweiser doesn't mean they are the best guns, motorcycles and beers...there are others "much better"...but that's another subject..
People often compare Ruger revolvers to those made by Smith & Wesson. Maybe the finish on the Ruger is not as highly polished as on the S&Ws but the Rugers are sturdier and more carefully processed through CNC equipment. I prefer Rugers as a top choice in my revolver collection.
Ruger's GP100 has proven to be a rugged .357 Magnum. Bill Ruger engineered it to be the most rugged double action revolver in its caliber, at a time when other brands were breaking down from heavy training fire with powerful 125-grain Magnum police ammunition. The GP's reputation for ruggedness helped Ruger eclipse Colt and it was closing in fast on the dominant S&W in police revolver sales in the late 1980s and early '90s. Then, the tsunami of police auto pistols swept away the debate as to which was the most rugged service revolver.
Don't get me wrong, I do like S&Ws but Rugers has a much better design, is a solid performer, relatively cheap to buy and are made for long, deep and continuous shooting.
The GP100 it's a workhorse, handles like a racehorse and that is what makes this .357 revolver such an enduring modern classic.These are darned good revolvers!!!! My ¢0.02 worth

 

[slick6]

Dualactionrecoil:

Excellent post! Well said-and, right on target too! The same was true with Ruger's older double action revolvers(Security/Service/speed-Sixes)when comparing them to Smith & Wesson's K-frame revolvers! I have my share of Smith's and Colt's as well and, each of these Brands have their advantages and disadvantages-but, the Ruger GP100 wins hands down in terms of being the toughest gun of the lot with the fewest parts, easiest to disassemble to clean, and is built to last!

 

[Shade00]

I just picked up a stainless Speed Six, my first Ruger. I'm in love with it! I'm taking it shooting this weekend.

At any rate, this quite the thread necromancy; over 5 years since the last post before yesterday. I guess some of these new folks are finding these threads through a search engine and not looking at when the thread was posted. Welcome to the forum DUELACTIONRECOIL, and I hope you enjoy your stay.

 

[DUELACTIONRECOIL]

My GP100 vs. S&W

As you know, I'm new to THR but that doesn't mean I'm new to Ruger guns. All of these years I have been a loyal subscriber of Ruger forum until somebody mentioned THR so I decided to check it out and while cruising the site I found an "old" but good subject to talk about so, knowing that people will read my thread (even if the last one is 5 yrs old) ... I decided to give it a try. I posted a brand new 2008 thread and..VOILá!!!! people responded, lucky me!!...
Thank you guys, I'm sure I will enjoy my stay

 

[crebralfix]

Anyone have a GP100 with 3" barrel? How does it shoot?

 

[Legionnaire]

Anyone have a GP100 with 3" barrel? How does it shoot?

Yup. Shoots great, and conceals easily, to boot. I bought mine second hand within the last year, and it is quickly becoming a favorite ... right alongside the 2.25" SP101.

 

[greener]

After I got my 4", I forced myself to shoot it DA. Now I have to remember that I want to shoot it SA. Better/worse than a comparable S&W? Matter of opinion. I'm satisfied, mostly, with the groups I can shoot at 15 yards, DA.